قالَت مَعاشِرُ كُلٌّ عاجِزٌ ضَرِعُ

قالَت مَعاشِرُ كُلٌّ عاجِزٌ ضَرِعُ

ما لِلخَلائِقِ لا بُطءٌ وَلا سُرُعُ

ما لِلخَلائِقِ لا بُطءٌ وَلا سُرُعُ

Groups have said: everyone is powerless and weak;

The helpless utter in unison 'Alas!',

creatures control neither slowness nor speed.

All creatures neither swift nor slow in their pace,

مُدَبَّرونَ فَلا عَتبٌ إِذا خَطِئوا

مُدَبَّرونَ فَلا عَتبٌ إِذا خَطِئوا

عَلى المُسيءِ وَلا حَمدٌ إِذا بَرَعوا

عَلى المُسيءِ وَلا حَمدٌ إِذا بَرَعوا

They are governed, so there is no blame when they err

Predestined, so do not blame if they err,

for the wrongdoer, nor praise when they excel.

Nor praise if they excel in their race.

وَلَقَد وَجَدتُ لِهَذا القَولِ في زَمَني

وَلَقَد وَجَدتُ لِهَذا القَولِ في زَمَني

شَواهِداً وَنَهاني دونَهُ الوَرَعُ

شَواهِداً وَنَهاني دونَهُ الوَرَعُ

And indeed, in my time I have found for this claim

For this saying, in my time, I found

evidence; yet piety stopped me short of it.

Evidence aplenty that caution defined.

وَالناسُ ضَأنٌ تَساوَت في غَرائِزِها

وَالناسُ ضَأنٌ تَساوَت في غَرائِزِها

يَلقونَ بِالأَرضِ كَفّاً كُلَّما اِفتَرَعوا

يَلقونَ بِالأَرضِ كَفّاً كُلَّما اِفتَرَعوا

And people are sheep, alike in their instincts;

People are sheep, alike in instinct,

they meet a restraining hand on earth whenever they rise.

Each time they graze, heads to the ground bent.

وَالعَيشُ وِردٌ سَيُسقى الحَيُّ آخِرَهُ

وَالعَيشُ وِردٌ سَيُسقى الحَيُّ آخِرَهُ

عِندَ الحِمامِ وَأَنفاسُ الفَتى جُرَعُ

عِندَ الحِمامِ وَأَنفاسُ الفَتى جُرَعُ

And life is a draught; the living will be given its last portion

Sustenance is a draught, the living drink it last,

at death, and a youth's breaths are sips.

At fate's decisive hour, the youth's breath spent.

شاموا بُروقَ المَنايا غَيرَ مانِعِهِم

شاموا بُروقَ المَنايا غَيرَ مانِعِهِم

مِنَ الحَوادِثَ ما شاموا وَما اِدَّرَعوا

مِنَ الحَوادِثَ ما شاموا وَما اِدَّرَعوا

They scanned death's lightning, but nothing shields them

Undeterred by the spectre of death they face,

from calamities—neither what they scanned nor the armor they donned.

Meeting both evils foreseen and unforeseen.

وَيَدَّعي الرُتبَةَ العُليا أَخَسُّهُم

وَيَدَّعي الرُتبَةَ العُليا أَخَسُّهُم

فَما يُجابُ لَهُم داعٍ إِذا ضَرَعوا

فَما يُجابُ لَهُم داعٍ إِذا ضَرَعوا

And the basest among them claims the highest rank;

The lowest of them lays claim to highest rank.

yet no one praying for them is answered when they humble themselves.

No response to the prayers of those astray.

وَأَدرَكوا بِدعاويهم مَدى زُحَلٍ

وَأَدرَكوا بِدعاويهم مَدى زُحَلٍ

مِنَ الرُغامِ بِما قاسوهُ أَو ذَرَعوا

مِنَ الرُغامِ بِما قاسوهُ أَو ذَرَعوا

And by their claims they reached as far as Saturn,

With their empty boasts they overreached,

from the dust, by what they measured or surveyed in cubits.

Grasping at mirages near and far gleaned.

يَسعَونَ في المَنهَجِ المَسلوكِ قَد سُبِقوا

يَسعَونَ في المَنهَجِ المَسلوكِ قَد سُبِقوا

إِلى الَّذي هُوَ عِندَ الغُرِّ مُختَرَعُ

إِلى الَّذي هُوَ عِندَ الغُرِّ مُختَرَعُ

They strive along the trodden path; others have already preceded them

Seeking trodden paths, they were outstripped

to what the naïve regard as newly invented.

By ruin lying in ambush, guile unseen.

أَبكارُ هَذي المَعاني ثَيِّباتُ حِجىً

أَبكارُ هَذي المَعاني ثَيِّباتُ حِجىً

في كُلِّ عَصرٍ لَها جانٍ وَمُفتَرِعُ

في كُلِّ عَصرٍ لَها جانٍ وَمُفتَرِعُ

The virgins among these meanings are no virgins to reason;

Everlasting ideas, though oft womb-born,

in every age they have a harvester and a deflowerer.

In every age a new coat have preened.

وَخالَفوا الشَرَعَ لَمّا جاءَهُم بِتُقىً

وَخالَفوا الشَرَعَ لَمّا جاءَهُم بِتُقىً

وَاِستَحسَنوا مِن قَبيحِ الفِعلِ ما شَرَعوا

وَاِستَحسَنوا مِن قَبيحِ الفِعلِ ما شَرَعوا

And they opposed the law when it came to them with piety,

They broke divine law when it came to them

and approved the foul deeds they instituted.

And approved of evils, forbidden means.

وَجَدتُ ما اِزدَرَعوهُ كانَ عَن قَدَرٍ

وَجَدتُ ما اِزدَرَعوهُ كانَ عَن قَدَرٍ

وَالحَقُّ أَنَّ بَنيهِم شَرُّ ما اِزدَرَعوا

وَالحَقُّ أَنَّ بَنيهِم شَرُّ ما اِزدَرَعوا

I found that what they sowed arose from fate;

I found their crops were more than they sowed,

and the truth is that their sons are the worst of what they sowed.

Truly, their progeny the worst they have reaped.

لَو يُكَشَّفُ عَّن أَبصارِهِم لَرَأَت

لَو يُكَشَّفُ عَّن أَبصارِهِم لَرَأَت

آمالَهُم وَالمَنايا كَيفَ تَصتَرِعُ

آمالَهُم وَالمَنايا كَيفَ تَصتَرِعُ

If their eyes were uncovered, they would see

If sight were granted them, they would behold

their hopes and death—how they wrestle with one another.

Hopes and destinies relentlessly reaped.

عادَت لَياليهِمُ دُهماً بِلا وَضَحٍ

عادَت لَياليهِمُ دُهماً بِلا وَضَحٍ

وَقَد يَكونُ بِهِنَّ الغُرُّ وَالدُرَعُ

وَقَد يَكونُ بِهِنَّ الغُرُّ وَالدُرَعُ

Their nights became black, without a gleam,

Their nights return gloom-laden, devoid of dawn,

though they may include bright nights and nights dark at first, then moonlit.

At their hour of ruin, no coat of mail.

وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ مَبسوطٌ إِساءَتُهُ

وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ مَبسوطٌ إِساءَتُهُ

يَشقى بِهِ القَومُ إِن هانوا وَإِن فَرَعوا

يَشقى بِهِ القَومُ إِن هانوا وَإِن فَرَعوا

And a man's harm spreads for as long as he lives;

A man lives not in joy when his sins spread misery,

people suffer because of him, whether lowly or exalted,

Whether his people mighty or brought low.

وَالطَيرُ وَالوَحشُ غاديها وَصالِحُها

وَالطَيرُ وَالوَحشُ غاديها وَصالِحُها

وَاللَيثُ وَالشِبلُ وَالذَيّالُ وَالذَرَعُ

وَاللَيثُ وَالشِبلُ وَالذَيّالُ وَالذَرَعُ

and birds and wild beasts, their dawn-roamers and their good ones,

Beast and fowl, harmful and benign go their way,

and the lion, the cub, the long-tailed beast, and the wild cow's calf.

The lion, the cub, the wolf, the doe.

لا فَضلَ يُحباهُ مَخلوقٌ عَلى جِهَةٍ

لا فَضلَ يُحباهُ مَخلوقٌ عَلى جِهَةٍ

مِن حالِهِ وَتُساوى النِسرُ وَالمُرَعُ

مِن حالِهِ وَتُساوى النِسرُ وَالمُرَعُ

No creature is granted special merit in any aspect

No creature favors another out of partiality,

of its condition; the vulture and the crake are equal.

The eagle is equal to the lamb, no more, no less.

وَالهَذرُ يُعطيكَ عَن فَقدِ الهُدى نَبَأً

وَالهَذرُ يُعطيكَ عَن فَقدِ الهُدى نَبَأً

وَيكَثِرُ القَولَ طَيرٌ شَأنُها الضَرَعُ

وَيكَثِرُ القَولَ طَيرٌ شَأنُها الضَرَعُ

And idle chatter tells you of lost guidance;

Prattle informs you of the loss of guidance,

and birds whose nature is weakness talk a great deal.

A bird's nature to babble without rest.